Discomfort
by Black Silken Rose
Summary: A HieixKurama take on the backrub trope, silly and fluffy. Shounen ai


Hello YuYuHakusho Fandom! I wrote this little piece quickly after a little hiatus (yes, I understand the irony) to work on my first long-length Hunter x Hunter piece. That's still in the works (so check it out if you know the story), but I have no intention of abandoning my otp

Just some fluffy silliness, as all of my favorite authors, masters of angst they may be, have at least one fluffy shortie to their names.

Disclaimer: I do not own YYH. I may act like Togashi sometimes, but I assure you, I'm not him.

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Sometimes, being around Kurama was difficult.

Of course, a little difficulty never stopped Hiei from escaping to the other's room for refuge whenever he felt a particular need or desire to; it was a longtime habit, one that he wasn't about to stop over the small inconvenience that had made itself known some time ago. It wasn't until the difficulty swept over him to begin with that he even thought of it, anyway.

It certainly wasn't on his mind as he slipped in through the window, barely managing to toe out of his boots before collapsing bonelessly face down on the kitsune's bed. Every aching muscle breathed a sigh of relief as he was enveloped by the familiar softness and scent, so safe and inviting. He let his eyes close, not bothered by the fact that he'd entirely ignored the other's presence in the room, or that he was being stared at. Even he wasn't above a certain desire for creature comforts.

Kurama took it all in stride, neatly closing the notebook he had been working in and moving to lower the window, shutting out the external cold. Tidying the boots away, he circled back around the bed, sitting on the edge gently near where Hiei's head was buried in the comforter, but with noticeable distance. The fire demon didn't budge, just let out a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan. Kurama took it as invitation to speak.

"Are you alright, Hiei?" He didn't bother hiding the amusement in his voice, his enjoyment in seeing the other openly exhausted and moping evident in his features. It was a silly sort of thing, but Kurama knew he had grown in value to the other when his status escalated from someone the fire demon was willing to pout over to someone he was willing to pout around in general. In a small way, he knew, it was Hiei showing his trust in the other, by coming to him when he had feelings to express, whatever they were. It was particularly warming on nights like this, when he was in a mood that lay somewhere between irritation and vulnerability, clearly looking for a sort of comfort. Not that he would have admitted it.

The smaller youkai lifted his head to look at the other, his neck straining uncomfortably as he refused to use his arms to prop himself up. Kurama was forced to suppress the growth of his smile at the childish move, waiting patiently as Hiei wrinkled his nose up at him.

"I'm tired and I'm sleeping here. That woman worked me too hard this time and if she wants me to go back she'll have to come get me." His head plopped back down softly, reminding the other of a little boy hiding under a blanket. So he'd run away from home, the kitsune mused, knowing full well from the very beginning that he'd escaped Mukuro. He'd been ever so grateful to her for giving Hiei a place, a home, but it was still nice to know that when push came to demon energy laced shove, Hiei would choose to knock on his door for sanctuary. Or window, as it was.

He raised an eyebrow as the fire demon moved, the begrudging in every muscle, to a sitting position, crossing his legs beneath him. He scooted over to Kurama, turning as he did so that he was facing sideways to him.

"The bionic woman ripped my shoulder from its socket," he said, not sounding particularly mad, just put out. Indeed, his right arm hung awkwardly, giving the momentary illusion of extended length. "Think you could do something about that?"

"Of course.

It was always with gentle caution that Kurama paced his hands on Hiei, but his grip became firm in a moment. One hand took him by the shoulder, the other by the upper arm, and in a swift move followed by a sickening crack his arm was set. Hiei made a face, out of annoyance at the initial situation rather than pain, before rolling his shoulders and testing his range of movement. It was a moment before he realized that the other's hands were still on him.

"You're incredibly tense, Hiei." The redhead said, sliding his hands over so that one was on each of the fire demon's shoulders. Hiei felt the bed shift as Kurama moved, bettering his angle behind him. "Have you always been like this? Relax a bit."

This was where the discomfort came into play because as soon as the kitsune told him to relax, Hiei found himself doing it, utterly and completely _comfortable_ , and the thought of that alone made him…uncomfortable. It was incredibly confusing, putting his trust in the other within a frame that didn't include blood or battles, but rather care and caresses. He tried not to dwell on it, letting the hands behind him start to knead into his shoulders and completely melting into the touch.

There was a moment of silence in which Kurama worked, steadily building the pressure beneath his fingers to move the hardened tissue around. Hiei's eyes drifted closed as he felt the tension slip away before it was broken by the kitsune. Hiei could tell just from his touch that he had been thinking, and was mildly surprised at the words he settled on when he did, but chose to ignore that too.

"How does it feel?" The fire demon hummed internally, keeping the sound to himself but needing to express it anyway. The kitsune's tone held back another question, but the other was not sure what it was.

"Good," he replied, lacking any intonation. Kurama's hands stopped for a second before resuming the motions, as if unsure about something. Then his hands slid over to the other's neck, working intently around the juncture of his shoulders on each side before pulling away. "Why did you stop, Kurama?"

He turned to look at the other, only for his shoulders to tense up at the sight. The kitsune was further away from him than he'd imagined, far enough that the other wondered how he had managed to reach him so easily. Kurama was regarding him with a wary expression, as if it were Hiei's behavior that were odd. The fire demon resisted the habitual growing irritation in his stomach, knowing that the other's actions always came with deep thought.

"I didn't think you'd be interested in continuing," he said carefully, choosing his words with practiced intent. "I'd be willing to do the rest of your back, but you'd have to lie down. The position is a bit… vulnerable." Hiei raised a warded eyebrow, trying to gauge the other. Contrary to his own expectations, he found himself spreading out on the bed, stomach down. He propped his head on arms crossed in front of him, turned to the side. Kurama watched without moving, his shock seeming to outdo the other's.

"Like this? I've slept next to you before, Kurama; I don't know why you think I'd mind _this_." He would've rolled his eyes if they hadn't already closed in anticipation of the other's touch. Kurama's fingers were always cool at first, but warmed greatly with contact. For a brief moment, he wondered innocently what they might feel like if his shirt were not between them.

The kitsune's movements were stunted, but followed anyway. Hiei's body relaxed again as he felt the bed sink in a spot to the left of his hip and the right of the other as the redhead straddled him, careful not to touch him with anything but his hands. It was needless to say that had anyone else attempted the position, they would've found their head on the floor, but no sense of defensive urgency overcame the fire demon. Rather, when hands found his lower back he sighed contentedly, letting his face snuggle into his arms more comfortably.

At the change in location it was hard not to make a sound as the redhead continued his massage, working his way up slowly. A part of Hiei wanted to let go completely, to enunciate every breathy vowel that strove to escape his lips, but a deeper part of the fire demon kept him holding back. The amount of comfort he was exhibiting with Kurama was dangerous, was akin to weakness, but there was always a way for him to rationalize it. After all, he reminded himself as the hands made their way under his shoulder blades in an agonizingly agreeable arc, it was only Kurama. After all the time they had spent together, all the time he was planning on spending with the stupid fox, he could at least indulge in the pleasures of having a partner. Though, he admitted, refusing to delve any deeper, this particular perk might be a bit out of the ordinary. Then again, they had never met any of the expectations of the ordinary.

It was only when he began to drift to sleep that Kurama stopped, moving off of the other gracefully like dismounting a horse. Hiei allowed himself to bask in the moment, so completely and utterly at ease, before rolling over onto his back and peeking up at the other. Kurama was still there, but seeming far away, both physically and something more. Hiei brought a hand up to his face, rubbing his eye and pinching the bridge of his nose, then moved into an upright position.

"Your turn." The stare he received in response was absolutely incredulous, but he tried to ignore it in favor of cracking his neck satisfactorily. When he'd finished and the kitsune hadn't moved, he shot back a heatless glare. "I don't have all night, Kurama." The other's mouth opened slowly, only to shut once before finding words.

"It's just… you're acting strange Hiei." The fire demon crossed his arms in front of his chest, giving the other a look.

" _I'm_ acting strange? Kurama, you're cowering." The fox straightened up at the insinuation, eyes sharpening for a moment.

"I don't think it's a good idea." Hiei let his confusion show, so the other continued. "Why do you want to do this anyway?"

"Because if I do it for you perhaps you'll do it again for me in the future. Even _I_ enjoy not having my whole body feel like moveable stone all the time."

"I thought you were tired."

"I am. Hurry up."

There was no use arguing with the tone the other used, Kurama knew, swallowing any other complaints and choosing to comply. He faced the opposite end of the bed, his feet stretching over to where Hiei's head had been, trying to move into the least uncomfortable position. Hiei gave him a moment to settle before climbing on top of him, showing none of the careful restraint Kurama had and propping himself up on the other's backside. The kitsune jumped when hands made contact with his neck, willing himself to relax. Hiei hesitated for a moment before diving in, gripping the curve of the other's shoulders and digging his thumbs in.

"I've never done this before, so don't complain if I'm no good at it," he shot, as if it were something he needed to be defensive about. It was true that his hands felt unpracticed, but his hold was lighter than the kitsune had expected; hard enough to relieve some tension but soft enough that it didn't cause pain. It felt…nice even.

"Never given a neck rub?" He tried to clarify, wondering how talkative Hiei was planning on being. Some nights, usually the pouting kind of nights, Hiei would talk as if trying to purge something from his soul, never quite saying anything but always making Kurama wonder just how much he had seen with eyes so young. Others he'd start out strong, then realize the nature of their conversations and stop altogether, either disappearing or feigning sleep or whatever it took to keep from opening up. Some nights he didn't speak at all, just climbed into Kurama's bed and passed out, seeming to want the entire world around him to disappear. Tonight felt different, though, something Kurama couldn't place. Especially when small, strong hands were working along his shoulders.

"Never offered to touch someone else. Aside from killing." He muttered his response, as if the whole situation had suddenly become irksome. Still, his touches remained gentle enough.

"And you wonder why I become entirely suspicious when someone who abhors being touched offers something like this." He'd said it in a joking tone, but there was enough seriousness in it to tell the fire demon that he was genuinely curious about something. The hands pulled away, settling in the middle of the redhead's back, but not starting up again. For a moment, Kurama wondered if he had said something wrong.

"I don't hate to be touched. You just assumed that."

Perhaps he had struck a chord. Kurama turned over as much as he could without pushing the other off, twisting his back so he could see him. The fire demon's face was entirely unreadable, a trick he had no doubt learned from the fox thief, but his eyes held some sort of shadow. Kurama stared for a moment, not knowing what exactly Hiei was trying to tell him.

"And that assumption is wrong?" He challenged, but his words only held questioning. Hiei pushed him back down, a little rougher than was probably necessary, but began rubbing his fingers into the redhead's shoulders again.

"…A little. I don't like to be touched by just anyone."

The kitsune felt something in his stomach jump at that, hearing a whisper that he immediately drowned out with practiced concentration. This was probably a one-time only opportunity; he wasn't about to ruin it over irrationalities. Instead, he chose to ruin it by speaking.

"Are you saying that in our longstanding partnership, in the many years that I've known you, I could've been getting back massages the whole time?" Kurama suddenly regretted the joke as the hand that had been working out a kink nicely moved to smack him over the back of the head, Hiei pushing himself off of the other in real irritation.

"Fine. Do your own damn back."

The kitsune couldn't help but laugh at the way Hiei flopped into his desk chair, pouting. It was a sight he hadn't seen before, the other making himself comfortable at his desk, or at least as comfortable as he could be while glaring daggers at the redhead. Kurama beamed toward him, enjoying the momentary turn in tables before it was flipped on its head.

"I'm going," the little youkai began, standing up again and pushing the chair in. Kurama's face immediately fell, the realization that Hiei might have been more affected by his words than he had thought striking him. To his surprise, the other just rolled his eyes, clearly understanding the redhead's look. "To bathe."

He paused considering something before throwing a look over his shoulder, his voice maintaining its deadpan despite what came out of his mouth. Difficulty, it seemed, was something he was happy to live with.

"I trust you'll be able to survive a few minutes alone, unless you plan on helping me wash those hard to reach places." He disappeared immediately after, not waiting to see the kitsune pick his jaw up off of the floor.

Either Hiei had acquired a sense of humor, or Kurama had been missing out on a lifetime of signals due to a seeming miscommunication. Not wanting to push his luck either way, he tucked himself in bed, staring at the ceiling and wondering how much of a part he had played in the change in the other.

When he woke up later, the sky still dark and stars shining in, to find the other's arm thrown over his stomach as he slept in peace, the kitsune couldn't help but to hope that the change was an indication of their future, long and forever together.

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Thanks so much for reading, and remember to leave nice **reviews!**

Sidenote: I've caved and made a tumblr, full of yyh and hxh rebogs, so feel free to follow or drop me a line there (I accept positivity only!)


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